Packer cup for use on downhole wellbore tools

ABSTRACT

A packer cup for use on downhole wellbore tools is provided herein. The packer cup has a composite annular body made from elastomer and/or polymer materials capable of accomplishing effective sealing at normal to high operating temperatures and at all pressure ranges in order to provide superior resistance to aggressive fluids, such as sour crude oil or gas, lubricating oil additives and amine corrosion inhibitors. The packer cup has a radial array of concave reinforcing wires that are retained by a metal cylindrical sleeve. In addition, the packer cup may include a support cup that is received about a lower tapered end in order to provide additional structural support to the cup.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable.

REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The invention generally relates to a packer cup for use on downhole wellbore tools.

2. Description of the Related Art

Oil and gas wells and water wells include a wellbore extending into a well to some depth below the surface. Typically, the wellbore is lined with casing to strengthen the walls of the borehole. To further strengthen the walls of the borehole, the annular area formed between the casing and the borehole is typically filled with cement to permanently set the casing in the wellbore. The casing is then perforated to allow production fluids to enter the wellbore and be retrieved at the surface of the well. Various types of downhole equipment, such as pumps and similar devices, are used to move production fluids from within the wellbore to the surface. A typical downhole arrangement would include a string composed of a series of tubes or tubing suspended from the surface. Packer cups are mounted on the string in order to isolate zones within the oil or gas well or to separate high and low pressure zones within the wellbore.

It is therefore desirable to provide an improved packer cup for use on downhole wellbore tools.

It is further desirable to provide an improved composite packer cup constructed from elastomer and/or polymer materials capable of accomplishing effective sealing at normal to high operating temperatures and at all pressure ranges in order to provide superior resistance to aggressive fluids, such as sour crude oil or gas, lubricating oil additives and amine corrosion inhibitors.

It is still further desirable to provide an improved packer cup having a radial array of concave reinforcing wires that are retained by a metal cylindrical sleeve.

It is still yet further desirable to provide a packer cup that includes a support cup that is received about a lower tapered end in order to provide additional structural support to the metal cylindrical sleeve of the cup.

Other advantages and features will be apparent from the following description, and from the claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, the invention relates to a packer cup for use on downhole wellbore tools. The packer cup includes an annular body having an open upper end and an open lower end separated by a tubular intermediate portion. The annular body can be fabricated from elastomer and/or polymer materials capable of accomplishing effective sealing at normal to high operating temperatures and at all pressure ranges in order to provide superior resistance to aggressive fluids, such as sour crude oil or gas, lubricating oil additives and amine corrosion inhibitors, such as hydrogenated or highly saturated nitrile having a hardness of between about 75 and about 85 durometer A. In addition, the annular body can include an external annular stop shoulder and a downwardly tapered, terminal end portion. A metal cylindrical sleeve having an annularly projecting ridge with a plurality of apertures is joined with the lower open end of the annular body. A radial array of concave reinforcing wires are retained within the apertures of the sleeve, and are also embedded within the annular body. The packer cup may also include a support cup having a circular base and an upstanding annular wall. The support cup is received about the downwardly tapered, terminal end portion of the annular body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional, partial cutaway view of downhole wellbore tools incorporating a packer cup disclosed herein connected in a production string;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example of a packer cup in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention disclosed herein;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top elevation view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a bottom elevation view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along line 6-6 of the packer cup shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an example of a radial array of concave reinforcing wires retained by a metal cylindrical sleeve in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention disclosed herein;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of another example of a packer cup in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention disclosed herein;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view along line 9-9 of the packer cup shown in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific manners in which to make and use this invention and are not to be interpreted as limiting in scope.

While the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be noted that many modifications may be made in the details of the construction and the arrangement of the elements and components of the devices and/or in the sequences and steps of the methods without departing from the scope of this disclosure. It is understood that the devices and methods are not limited to the embodiments set forth herein for purposes of exemplification.

The description of the invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description of this invention. In the description, relative terms such as “front,” “rear,” “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the machine be constructed or the method to be operated in a particular orientation. Terms, such as “connected,” “connecting,” “attached,” “attaching,” “join” and “joining” are used interchangeably and refer to one structure or surface being secured to another structure or surface or integrally fabricated in one piece, such as by welding, binding with adhesives, riveting, threaded fasteners, or bending in the form of a crimped seam.

Referring to the figures of the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate like elements throughout the several views, a packer cup 10 for use on downhole wellbore tools. Well production fluids may include oil, gas and water or combinations thereof. The subterranean well 12 includes a casing 14 which extends from the surface downhole. A string 16 of downhole wellbore tools may be composed of a series of tubes or tubing suspended from the surface, such as from a rig or derrick. The packer cup 10 has an external diameter that is generally oversized compared an interior diameter of the casing 14, and is mounted on the string 16 in order to isolate zones within the oil or gas well 12 or to separate high and low pressure zones within the well 12.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 thought 7, the cup 10 includes an annular body 18 with an open upper end 20 and an open lower end 22 separated by a tubular intermediate portion 24. The open upper end 20 has an outwardly flared radial extent 26 that is slightly larger in diameter than the tubular intermediate portion 24 of the body 18, while the lower end 22 has a slightly smaller diameter than the tubular intermediate portion 24 of the body 18. The lower end 22 includes a metal cylindrical sleeve 28 forming an internal annular shoulder 30 within the body 18 of the cup 10. The cylindrical sleeve 28 retains reinforcing wires 32 that are embedded within the body 18 to form a unitary composite packer cup 10. The cylindrical sleeve 28 has an annularly projecting ridge 34 with a plurality of apertures 36. The reinforcing wires 32 are arranged as a radial array of concave reinforcing wires 32 that are retained within the apertures of the sleeve 28. The reinforcing wires 32 may be 10-gauge stainless steel or other suitable metallic or polymeric materials.

The body 18 of the packer cup 10 is fabricated from elastomer and/or polymer materials capable of accomplishing effective sealing at normal to high operating temperatures and at all pressure ranges. The elastomer and/or polymer materials may be a hydrogenated or highly saturated nitrile with a hardness of between about 75 and about 85 durometer A in order to provide superior resistance to aggressive fluids, such as sour crude oil or gas, lubricating oil additives and amine corrosion inhibitors.

The lower end 22 of the body 18 includes an external annular stop shoulder 38 and a downwardly tapered, terminal end portion 40. The tapered terminal end portion 40 has an external diameter less than the remainder of the body 18 of the packer cup 10. As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, a support cup 42 can be received about the tapered terminal end portion 40 of the packer cup 10. The support cup 42 includes a circular base 44 with an upstanding annular wall 46, and provides additional support about the sleeve 28 of the cup 10. As shown, the upstanding annular wall 46 of the support cup 42 includes an outwardly tapered, inner diameter 48 that parallels the downwardly tapered, terminal end portion 40 of the lower end 22 of the body 18.

Whereas, the invention has been described in relation to the drawings and claims, it should be understood that other and further modifications and formulations, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the scope of this invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A packer cup for use on downhole wellbore tools, said packer cup comprising: an annular body comprising an open upper end and an open lower end separated by a tubular intermediate portion, said annular body fabricated from an elastomer and/or polymer material capable of accomplishing effective sealing at normal to high operating temperatures and at all pressure ranges; a metal cylindrical sleeve comprising an annularly projecting ridge with a plurality of apertures, a plurality of reinforcing wires retained within said apertures of said sleeve, said reinforcing wires embedded in said elastomer and/or polymer materials of said annular body.
 2. The packer cup of claim 1 wherein said cylindrical sleeve forms an internal annular shoulder within said body.
 3. The packer cup of claim 1 wherein said reinforcing wires further comprises a radial array of concave reinforcing wires.
 4. The packer cup of claim 1 wherein said reinforcing wires are stainless steel or a metallic or polymeric material.
 5. The packer cup of claim 1 wherein said elastomer and/or polymer material is hydrogenated or highly saturated nitrile.
 6. The packer cup of claim 5 wherein said hydrogenated or highly saturated nitrile has a hardness of between about 75 and about 85 durometer A.
 7. The packer cup of claim 1 wherein said annular body further comprises an external annular stop shoulder and a downwardly tapered, terminal end portion.
 8. The packer cup of claim 7 further comprising a support cup received about said downwardly tapered, terminal end portion of said annular body.
 9. The packer cup of claim 8 wherein said support cup further comprises a circular base and an upstanding annular wall.
 10. The packer cup of claim 9 where said upstanding annular wall of said support cup comprises an outwardly tapered, inner diameter that parallels said downwardly tapered, terminal end portion of said lower end of said body.
 11. The packer cup of claim 1 further comprising a support cup received about said lower end of said annular body.
 12. The packer cup of claim 11 wherein said support cup further comprises a circular base and an upstanding annular wall.
 13. The packer cup of claim 12 where said upstanding annular wall of said support cup comprises an outwardly tapered, inner diameter that parallels a downwardly tapered, terminal end portion of said lower end of said body.
 14. The packer cup of claim 13 wherein said annular body further comprises an external annular stop shoulder.
 15. The packer cup of claim 3 further comprising a support cup received about said lower end of said annular body.
 16. The packer cup of claim 15 wherein said support cup further comprises a circular base and an upstanding annular wall.
 17. The packer cup of claim 16 where said upstanding annular wall of said support cup comprises an outwardly tapered, inner diameter that parallels a downwardly tapered, terminal end portion of said lower end of said body.
 18. The packer cup of claim 17 wherein said lower end of said annular body further comprises an external annular stop shoulder.
 19. A packer cup for use on downhole wellbore tools, said packer cup comprising: an annular body comprising an open upper end and an open lower end separated by a tubular intermediate portion, said annular body fabricated from hydrogenated or highly saturated nitrile having a hardness of between about 75 and about 85 durometer A, said lower end of said annular body further comprising an external annular stop shoulder and a downwardly tapered, terminal end portion; a metal cylindrical sleeve comprising an annularly projecting ridge with a plurality of apertures, said sleeve joined with said lower open end of said annular body; and a radial array of concave reinforcing wires retained within said apertures of said sleeve, said reinforcing wires embedded within said annular body.
 20. The packer cup of claim 19 further comprising a support cup having a circular base and an upstanding annular wall, and said support cup received about said downwardly tapered, terminal end portion of said annular body. 